Advances continue to be made in the manufacture of solid-state electronic devices, resulting in increasing functionality, density, and performance of the integrated circuits (ICs). The amount of heat generated, and accordingly the amount of power needed to be dissipated, by modem integrated circuits generally increases with increases in the density and speed of the circuits. Removal of heat produced by the integrated circuits therefore continues to be of significant concern of modem integrated circuit package and system designers, considering the loss of performance and the degradation in reliability of integrated circuits when operated at elevated temperatures.
In addition, the trend toward more compact electronic systems is also continuing, exacerbating the thermal problem produced by the high-complexity and high-performance integrated circuits. For example, laptop or notebook sized computers have recently become quite popular, with continuing market pressure toward even smaller computer systems such as personal digital assistants (PDA). However, these small computer systems eliminate many of the traditional techniques for heat removal available for large-scale computer systems, such as the use of fans for convection cooling of the integrated circuits. As such, many modem computer systems utilize thermal conduction as the primary mode of heat removal from the integrated circuits in the computer system.
Compact electronic products that utilize high-density ICs or similar electronic components may utilize thermal gap filler (a material with high thermal conductivity in a conformable pad-like form) as a way to cool off the ICs and maintain proper ICs' operating junction temperature. The thermal gap filler is adhered to the ICs on one side of the thermal gap filler and contacted to an exterior case of the device that houses the ICs on the other side of the thermal gap filler. The thermal gap filler allows self-generated heat (from the ICs) to be dispersed into the exterior case of the device that houses the ICs without the cost, weight, or size considerations of heat sinks or heat-pipes.
There are disadvantages to the technique mentioned above. By physically coupling the exterior case of the device that house the ICs to the thermal gap filler to transfer heat from the IC through the filler and to the exterior case, a situation is now present whereby an externally applied force to the device's exterior case can damage the IC and/or the filler. The externally applied force can be generated by routine handling, touching, operating, or abusing of the device. This externally applied force will directly induce a mechanical force and/or physical stress on the device thermal gap filler and the ICs. In certain cases, depending upon the physical characteristics of the product, this force could exceed the maximum physical stress capability of the ICs' mechanical interface with the device's system, either with the device's logic board, or within the ICs themselves. Additionally, this force could exceed the stress that the thermal gap filler can handle or optimally handle. Excessive force and stress can thus be caused to the ICs and/or the thermal gap filler and as such would inevitably cause catastrophic product or device failure.
As processors and power devices get faster and hotter, and as package densities increase, the need for reliable, effective, and efficient thermal management devices become crucial. Thus, there is a need for a heat-dissipating device that can dissipate heat generated from an IC or ICs without the risk of damaging either the ICs or the heat-dissipating device itself.